World Wonders (2023) Board Game

World Wonders is a board game designed by Zé Mendes and published by MeepleBR in in 2023. It falls under the Ancient and Territory Building category, where players compete to build the most impressive wonders of the ancient world.

Game Components of World Wonders

Rulebook: 1

Main Board: 1

Resource Boards: 5

Player Aid Boards: 3

Map Boards: 5

Wooden Monuments: 21

Wooden Towers: 10

Wooden Resource Markers: 25

Wooden Player Markers: 5

Wooden Turn Order Pedestals: 2

Monument Cards: 21

Solo Play Cards: 14

Building Tiles: 80

Loan Tiles: 5

Long Road Tiles: 35

Short Road Tiles: 20 sets[4%.

How To Setup World Wonders

To set up World Wonders, each player receives a Map Board and a Resource Board. The Map Boards are double-sided, with one side featuring a lake and the other a river, and players must use the same side throughout the game. Each player starts with a Long Road tile placed on their first turn. Building tiles are separated and stacked face down on the Main Board, with the top tile of each stack turned face up for purchase. Monument cards are shuffled, and three are drawn and placed face up. Road tiles are set out according to the player count, and player markers are placed on the Main Board to determine turn order.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Turn Structure: Players take turns spending Gold to purchase one action per turn, such as roads, building tiles, towers, turn order pedestals, or monuments.

Resource Management: Players manage Gold, resources, and population growth on their Resource Board.

Tile Placement: Roads must be placed adjacent to other roads, sidewalks, or towers. Buildings must be placed adjacent to roads or buildings of the same color.

Monument Placement: Each monument has unique placement requirements and consumes all remaining Gold.

Turn Order: Determined by Population track, with optional turn order pedestals that can be purchased.

Game Objective: The goal is to accumulate the most victory points by building a well-planned city with monuments, managing resources, and growing population.

Player Experience

World Wonders offers a engaging and strategic gameplay experience. Players must balance their resource management with the need to build and place tiles efficiently to meet the requirements for various monuments. The game features a tight economy, making each decision critical, and the ability to change turn order adds a layer of competition. The game’s components are highly praised for their quality and aesthetic appeal, making the gameplay visually appealing and immersive.

Pros

High-Quality Components: Players praise the excellent quality and art of the tokens and monuments.

Engaging Gameplay: Brisk and fun gameplay with a lot of decisions to make.

Replayability: The game offers multiple ways to earn points and changing turn order, keeping the game interesting.

Visual Appeal: The game looks stunning on the table, with beautiful architectures and monuments.

Strategic Depth: A clever economic system and spatial puzzle elements add depth to the game.

Cons

Analysis Paralysis: Some players might suffer from analysis paralysis due to the many decisions available.

Competition for Resources: Players need to carefully watch opponents’ plans to avoid missing out on crucial builds.

Personal Thoughts on World Wonders

World Wonders is ideal for players who enjoy strategic city-building and resource management games. It is suitable for 1-5 players, making it versatile for different gaming groups. The game’s balance of economic management, tile placement, and monument building makes it appealing to fans of games like Cascadia and other spatial puzzle games. For solo players, the game includes a Solo Play mode with an automaton, providing a challenging single-player experience.

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